Cushion tire



lll

Y :closely Patented Feb. 15,1l927. Y

' nati-ra retails fH i raraafgf MAX oYRUs OVERMAN, or NNW YORK, N. Y.,.AssieNoit virov of ce wg'ooifrfn. A; CORPORATION or NEW YORK. A

' CUSHION' TIRE.

Application mea September is; 192i. seria-i No'. 500367.

My present invention relates to a cushion-v rim, with properly positioned and spacedV quick acting, shock-absorbing and load-carrying upright members and Ilateral bracing members uniting said 'tread and base portions' into a particularly effective cushion tire` interchangeable on standard rims with a pneumatic tire and adapted to high speed vehicles'.

These and other features and advantages lare provided in the preferred form of vmy present tire as will appear from an understanding oft-he following description in con nectionjgwith the drawings.

In the latteifFigsl and 2 show one preferred form ofmy tireimprovements, Fig. l being atransverse section through the tire secured to a standard demountable tireLrim; and Fig. 2' being a perspective view of the complete rim on which this'tire is mounted, the rim beinglof the'contractib'le and eX- pansibletype and only one-half of the tiire being illustrated with itsl ends yshownr in transverse section; i

Describing now my invention'by referenceV to the illustrated preferred. embodiment thereof, the' tire of the' drawings comprises substantially radial load-supporting Vand shock-absorbing inner Vmembers, 1'1 anc laterally stabilizing ory bracing outer mem.- bers' ,Q -'2. :These members are relatively adjacent, separated by proper spaces, two of which 3-#3 are similarpin'cros's-secf tion fand a third space being designated e. y

The radially outer Vportions of u all the members ar'e'integrally united by'a relative,- ly wide tread-portion 5 including sides CII which are divergent toward tire. This provides a tread-portion vwhose outline resembles that of aV pneumatic tire in ground contact and like that-tire resists penetrating into a soft roadway and addsv toV its ability to climb out of ruts, etc. f

The aforesaid load-supporting and shock- VYabsorbing 'inner' members 1 1 are ,comparatively. tall .and thin; andl inl radial direction adjacent thes'paces 3 and 4t are substantially straight Aand `steeply converge toward the4 tread, the result of their convergencebeing the base of the thatl the opening cross-'section is substantially V-shape'd, the radially innerpart thereof kbeing closed by shoulderslale On the base portions of said members;

The lateral stabilizing or bracing outer members 2%-2 lin cross-sectiony are each elbow-shaped, their radially outer limbs converging toward the trea'dfand their radially inner orv basal limbs toward therim-engagin'g portion of the'tire. vThe; re's'ult is "that each'of the spaces 3l incross-sectijon is sub*- sta-ntially an obtuseang'ggle'd triangle with `its longestside' formed by thesi'de of the a-'djacent inner member l.

I' The respective members lll', 2--2' and spaces Bev-3 and 4 maybe cirvcun'ifere'ntially rcontinuous aroundv the tire. VvAlso' the-whole tire) is preferably molded as an entirety. rEhe material is, 4of course, vrubberor a rubber compound or other suitable rubber-like tire material with or without fabric reinforeings and the' likeg` 1 p I accomplish apenarrow base for' lthis tire to fit ai Vstandard Vpn'eurnatic' tire; rim' and secure .it v'thereto by adaptations and* means as Yfollowsz-The basalr portionsof the' in? ner substantially radial `m'embers ll" are formed with-shoulders lbf-l, which may be inclined and which overlie complein'eiitary footeportions Qta-Qa on *the outermemybers `when all of themenibers Vare together 'withfth'e tire inoperative position onthe rim. g foregoingcouple'clwith the-elbow:-` shape ofthe outer members Q-Qprovi'des l the' narrow base 'for the tire.

`6 ri's a Ametal ring made of hal-'fround steek, said'ring being put'i'ntoA thenca'vity l after the tirelias been molded.' The inn'er'members lf-l of the tir'earev then broughtto'-` gether so that the flat-portion of thering bears upon bothv of their" shoulders la--l2L for securing the tireto therim `as will be explained later'.

7 is apiece off wirehaving pointed: legs *Y 'like' a Staple which be driven of forced into theouter legsj asin Fig. l to act/as a binder to-hold all of the members ljand 2 together before the.' tire is: mounted? onV any rim. There maybe a vplurality of vthese applied' at!v intervals around thetire. Y 8 isav standard jpneumaticv-tyire *'rim having sideLflaiiges Sti-8h. The ilangeispaee is adapted to receive snugly the' above de scribed basalportions' ofthe members' 1; 'and Yaas fn Fjgspl and a-'fwthf the outwardly curving flanges supporting the -elbowshaped outer members V2.

Y This standard flanged rim 8 is circumferentially discontinuous, being transversely severed at 8b (Fig. 2). This permits the rim to be contracted *tol apply it toV the tire, after which it can be expanded into the position shown in Fig. 2 with the base of the tire seated in the rim-space.

. Any form of expansible riin may be einployed; also any suitable means for releasably locking the rim in its expanded condition. The locking means shown is of the well-known form and comprises substanltially a luO' 9 (Fig. 2) projecting roinone free end or the'riin over its other tree end when said ends are adjacent in expanded position; and further comprises a member '10 (Fig. 2) pivoted at 11 to the opposite end of the rim from the lug 9, said member l0 `having a finger-portion l()Et and a cam-- cornered end 10", the latter being adapted, when the member l() is rotated into its illustrated position (Fig. 2) from a position at right angles thereto, to bear against and on the end of Ythe lug 9, thereby forcing to their respective abutting positions the freeends ot the flanged rim and locking the rim in its vfully expanded condition as shown in Fig. 2. Y f n The inside diameter ofthe ring 6 is` Suthciently small so that when the rim is fully expanded, the foot portions oi. the 'inner inembersl-l will be securely clamped be-V tween said ring and the rim. At the same time the portions of said inner members that overlie the foot portions of the outer members 2*2 will securely clamp the latter to the rim and the adjacent ilanges.

Also my Ytire may be used on other rims including any standard form of .detachable rim tor pneumatic tires, having one or bothY lianges detachable from its non-expansible base section. Mytire containing the above described ring 6 will be `forced laterally over and upon the base section ot the rim and then the detached i'iange or flanges will Vbe applied in accordance with tlie usual practice in using detachable rims. Y

For a tire to possess good riding qualities when used on a high speed motor-vehicle, it isV necessary that it be not, only highly and resiliently ,yielding so as to absorb to the maximum extenttlieinequalities of t-he roadV surface, butV also it should be sufficiently rapid in action to yield to the inequalities ot' theroad as `vrapidly as they are metV with r in the 'rapidlyy rolling passage of the tire over the roadway. In a. pneumatic tire the cushioning medium is the Vcompressed air contained in the tire, and as air possesses .Y a low l,inertia anda low resistance to flow,

suchja4 tire is able to-act ve-ry quickly in vyielding tolthe rapidly occurring road irregularities which are met with in a vehicle travelling at a high speed on the'roadway.

On the other hand, in making a non-iniiated'tire out of a material such as rubber, rubber compounds, or the like, kthe cushioning eiiect ot the tire must for satisfactory results be produced by the flow of the materialV itself of which the tire is formed. TheV rate ot llow of any solid material such as rubber, rubber compounds, or other like materials, is much slower than that ot air, of other gases, lt lis necessary, therefore, in producing a tire having cushioning cilects and acting substantially yas quickly Vas a pneumatic tire, 'that the rubber.v or other material ot which it is composed, yshall be so'arranged that in giving the cushioning action through an actual flow ot the mate rial it will have the shortest distance through which to flow. f Furthermore, it is necessary, in using rubber compounds having relatively i'reely-tlowing characteristics, that iio portion ot Ythe materialy shall have yto flow Vvery tar, or otherwise excessive heating from such ilow is likely to occur, resulting 'in cle-vulcanizatioii., ln order, therefore, tor the tire to have the Vdesired quickness of and at the same time permitting a maximum amount of yield or compression without excessiveV flowing movements of the material,

the load-supporting members l-l ot the tire should be relatively tall for a maximum total compression andV relatively thin in cross-section for quick action with tree spacesinto which said load-supporting meinbers may` expand so that the flow of the material will be largely perpendicular to the direction oi the torce acting `on them. At the same time said loadsupporting members v1--1 in .yielding to kthe forces acting on them should 'compress and enlarge laterally' without-buckling, Vand they therefore for inaximum etlectiveness should bev substantially straight. F urthermore,since a tire inV actual service on the, roadway' is subjected not only to forces acting vertically against its tread, but also to Vlateral forces ot consider- Y able magnitude, it is necessary. that either ility to withstand suoli lateral forces as being relatively thick and not too steeply convergent, or that other members be provided co-acting with the loadsupporting` members to properly resist such vlateral forces. In this present tire the load-supporting members (lf-l are such that they .act principallyV as such in order: to enable l them to have quickness oi action tothe ieri highest degreeasshock absorbers in cush-v Y' ,ioning the forces acting vertically with respect tothe tread of the tire; and'additional members whose functionis almost entirely that of properly resisting and cushioning the forces acting laterally with respect to the tire, lare provided by the outer elbowshaped members 2-'2 which, besides 'giving lateral stability to the tire, also act in conjunctionv with the tread portion to vgive the tire the proper degree of resistance to road penetration to enable it `to practically duplicate the pneumatic tire in'this Vrespect and in the respect of veasily getting out of rut's, etc.

12 is vthe 'usual stamped up boss lon the inside of the ,standard rim having a hole through it `to receive the valve-stem of 'the inner tube when a pneumatic tire is used.

Fig. 1 shows treadlopenings 18-18'in the tread portion of the tire. These consist of transverse grooves or spaces open at the tread and extending through from the sides of the tread-portion 5 to andbeyond the center of the tread, adjacent spaces extending alternately in the just described overlapping fashion from opposite sides of said treadportion. Y Y 19s-19 are spaced apart, integral projections from the body of the tread-portion located within said grooves 18-18 to act as pebble-ejectors.

In addition to what has been shown and described, other changesl and modifications may be made in the practical embodiment of mv improvements which will nevertheless still be within the spirit of the foregoing disclosure and within the meaning and spirit of the annexed claims, and which as such are accordingly intended to be covered thereby.

What I claim is:

1. In a tire, the combination of a tread portion, space-separatedl load-supporting and shock-absorbing inner members which converge toward and unite with said treadportion and which in radial direction are substantially straight 'adjacent' said space, elbow-shaped laterally stabilizing outer members containing the inner members between them with one set of their limbs converging toward and uniting with said tread-portion and with their other set of limbs converging toward the base of the tire, the basal portions of all of the said members being adapted to be contained in a flanged tirerim with the elbow-shaped members braced by said flanges.

2. In a tire, the combination of a treadportion. space-separated load-supporting and shock-absorbing inner members whichrunite with said tread-portion and which in radial direction are substantially straight adjacent said space, elbow-shaped laterally stabilizing outer members containing the inner members between them with one set of their limbs converging toward and uniting with said tread-portion and with their other set of limbs converging toward the base of the F tire, the basal portions of all of the said ya Aflanged tire-r-i'm, the inner me Vbers members being adapted 'to be coiitain'e'dV in said basal :portns `of being l"adapted` l'to be engaged vby "ine'ansffor sec'i'iring them *to said rim A'and further being adapted to overlie and secure Vthe basal portions of the outer members valso to the rim;

3. In a tire, the combination of vspaced inner andouter members, a tread-portion intef 'grally uniting fthe radially outer portions of said "me bers, fthe radially inner portions of 'saicVmembersbeing 'adapted ft' lbe 'con- 'tained in afflanged tire-rim, 4the -:radially inner portions of the inner 'members being adapted to befengaged by means'fo'r vsecuring them to said rim and further being adapted to overlie the radially inner portions of the outer members so as to secure the latter also tol the rim. y Y

t. Inratire, the combination of a treadportion, multiple inner and multiple outer members united to said tread-portion and `diverging radially inwardly therefrom and from one another with angular expansion spaces separating said members adjacent said tread-portion, the basal portions of all of said members being adapted to collectively formv the base of the tire and to be compressed within aflangedV tire rim, and

compression ring means carried by the basal portions of the inner members to eflect such compression.

5. In a tire,rthe combination of a tread portion, multiple load-supporting inner and multiple laterally stabilizing outer members united to said tread-portion and diverginb one another with angular expansion spaces separating them adjacent said tread-portion,

adjacent said tread-portion, the space-sepy arating portions of said inner members being substantially straight, the basal portions of all of said members being adapted to collectively form the base of the tire 'and to be compressed within a flanged tire rim, and means carried by the basal portions of the inner'members to effect such compression.

7. In a tire, the combination of a treadportion integrally united to multiple loadsupporting inner and laterally stabilizing.

(Y radially inwardly therefrom and from substantially straight, the

outer members which diverge radially inwardly therefrom and are separated from one another adjacent said. tread-portion by expansion spaces which are enclosed by the basal portions of said members being collectively abutted to form the base of the tire, and base compression ring means carried within the space separating' the inner inembers. y

8. In a tire formed with separable basal portions7 the combination of means for securing together said basal portions at localized points, comprising staple-like meinbers insel-table into the material of the tire.

9. In a hollow cushion tire adapted to be from and tern'iinating in laterally outward i curved shoulders7 the combination with a base of said tire formed to snugly it 4said bottom and the curved flanges of the said rim of a base Clamping-ring in the hollow of the tire, and means for Causing Clamping action on the base of the tire between the said ring and the said tire rim.

Signed at New York in the county of New'Yorl 'and State of N ew York this 12th day of Septemben A. D. 1921.

MAX CYRUS @VERE/IAN. 

